Announcer or indicator.



J. L. SHAHAN.

ANNOUNCER 0R INDICATOR.

APPLICAHON FILED MAR; 29. 1916.

1,259,915. Patented Mar. 19. 191&

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Z5? El JOH DOE |75*No.C| ARK J. L. SHAHAN.

ANNOUNCER 0R INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. I916.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

uurrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. SHAI-IAN', or wns'r rnLLiaan, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR or ONE-THIRD 'ro GEORGE o. CUNNINGHAM nn ONE-THIRD 'ro ERVIN w. HAN-SEN, BOTH on CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

' ANNOUNCE-R OR INDICATOR;

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed March 29, 1916. Serial No. 87,524.

and useful Improvements in Announcers or indicators, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to that class of announcers or indicators which are adapted to I be used for announcing, or displaying successively the names of stations, streets, articles, advertisements, or for displaying otheannouncements. g a

The principal. object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and efficient announcer adapted to be used for announcing, or for automatically displaying the names of stations, streets, or advertisements, or for making other announcements, and more particularly for automatically announcingiu vehicles the nanies of'stations and streets as they are approached.

Ot.her and furtherjobjectsrof the invention will appear from 'the following description and claims and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings wh ch -are made a wart of this saeciiication.

' In the accon'ipanying drawings:

' Figural is a view in front elevation of an indicator or announcer constructed in accordance with my invention and improvements with a portion of the casing broken away to more clearly show the construction and arrangement of the parts including the escapemcnt mechanism;

2' a view in transverse: vertical section taken on line :3 of Fig. 1, looking in th direction of the arrow;

Fig. 3 a similar view in transverse vertical section taken on line 3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4:, a diagrammatic illustration showing an electric circuit for operating the indicator or announcer, and showing diagranr matically, a car provided with my improved indicator, and having a contact member 111 nected with the trolley and adapted to engage a contact member on the car and embraced within the electric circuit for operating the indicator or announcer.

In constructing an announcer-in accordance with my invent-ion and improvements, l provide a casing or receptacle 0,, which, by preference, comprises in its constructions front wall i), back wall 0, a top 1, a bot tom 6, and an end wall f. The front wall 7) is provided with one or more openings 9 and h through which vthe names, advertisements or announcements to be exhibited or displayed arevisible when the device is in 'operation' The casing may be made of metal or other suitable material. A set of rolls comprising an exposing or display roller or drum 2', and a plurality of winding rollers or drums j and I: are provided and rotatively mounted in parallel relation on the inside of the casing ipon suitable bearings Z; and'a sheet or web ofpaper or other suitable material m is mounted in position to partly encircle the display roll or drum,

and is secured at its opposite extremities to the winding rollers j and 7c, respectively, in such position. that the web or sheet m is adapted, to be wound upon each and from one to the other of said winding rollers alternately. During the winding and un- I winding from one to the other of the winds ing rollers, the web at passes over and between the periphery of thedlsplay roller i,

and the adjacent opening or openings 9 and h in the wall 7) of the inclosing casing, so that the names or announcements on the web are visible through the opening or opencorresponding roller or drum.

Each of the threaded bearing members or s/rews Z is, by preference, mounted in threaded engagement with a threaded opening in the adjacent or end wall ofthe casing. and an inner projection or nut o on the inside of the casing wall, and which may be integral with the casing wall, or in the form of a separate nut, as desired, is in threaded engagement with each screw 1 re-v spectively. An outernut o is mounted in threaded engagement with each screw, or hearing member Z, respectively, and by preference on the outside of the casing wall, and in position to be turned with respect to the corresponding screw Z into rigid engagement with the adjacent surface of the cas ing wall, or similar surface, so as to firmly secure and hold the screws Z in any position into which they are adapted to be adjusted.

I The screws Z are thus adapted be adjusted with respect to the corresponding journal or shaft 0 by turning the screw in either lirection, as required. ing rollers j and 7c is provided with apulley or winding drum 1' at one end thereof, each of said drums having a plate or flange s at its outer extremity, for forming a guard for a winding cord. A winding cord 6 is operativel y connected with the roller is by being secured to the corresponding drum 1", and a similar winding cord u is operatively connected with the other winding roller j and its drum 7" in a similar manner. These winding cords t and u extend over pulleys o and o mounted on suitable supports, such as an axle 'w. The winding cords t and a are thus adaptedto operatively conncct a plurality of weights, comprising one or more relativily light weights 2, and a relatively heavy weight at, with the winding rollers j and [a respectively. The cords and u are each provided with a connectin member g, which may be in the form oi a loop, eye, or hook, adapted to enable either a weight 2 or the relatively heavy weight at to be rcmovably and, if desired, interchan ea ably secured to either the cord 6 or the cord a, and thereby operatively connected with the corresponding winding roller j or It, as desired.

I prefer to employ two relatively light weights 2, each having a connecting member r book 3, or similar connecting means thereon, each adapted to be connected with a connecting member y of a winding cord t or u as desired, and to provide one relatively heavy weight 4, having a connecting mem ber, such as a hook 5, thereon, adapted to enable the weight 41% to be operatively connected with either the roller j or the roller is, as desired, by inserting the hook 5 into an eye or similar suitable connecting memher 5 ot a weight 2 on either the cord 15 or the cord u, as desired. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) The relatively heavy weight l is thus adapted to be interchangeably connected with the cords t and u and the corresponding rollers 7' and 70, respectively, and being suiii.

.ciently heavy to overcome the weight or yielding resistance afforded by the relatively light weight connected with the other cord and winding roller, the relatively heavy weight will cause the flexible strip or apron m, having characters thereon to be displayed. to be wound upon the winding roller with which the heavy weight 4 is connected. The flexible strip m is thus adapted to be wound ontothe rollers j and is alternately, and is caused to travel in opposite directions alternately, the direction of travel being reversed by connecting the relatively heavy weight with first one and thenthe other of the winding-rollers j and 3, as desired. The strip engages the periphery and the teeth. 15 of the display roller and Each of the winch causes the latter to rotate in a direction cor responding with the direction of movement ofthe flexible strip m. The flexible strip am, with the characters thereon to be displayed, is .thus caused to move or travel between the display roller z and the openings g and h in the casing, so as to display the characters, names of streets, announcements, advertisements or printed matter on the flexible strip in successive order, as the strip moves past the openings in the casing. A tube or casing is provided, having a dividing wall or vertical partition 2" and forms a plurality of vertical channels to" in which the weights are guided as they travel upward and downward in winding and unwinding the cords t and u and the web m.

The casing or tube '2 may be of any suit able form adapted to be readily opened to perinit'the changing of the weights and to .be-closed and form guiding channels for the weights when the device is in operation.

Mechanism for automatically stopping and releasing or permitting the rotation of the rolls in a step by step manner is provided, comprising an escapement mecha nism which is adapted to be operated automatically I and preferably by electrical power.

The escapement mechanism, when constructed as shown in the drawings, comprises a reciprocating pawl 6, which is pi otally supported upon a stub shaft or pin 7. which is, by preference, fixed to the adjacent wall of the casing by being inserted through a suitable aperture in such wall and having anut 8 in threaded engagement with the threaded portion of snch shaft or supporting member, or by other suitable sup porting means.

The pawl 6 is provided with a plurality of pawl fingers 9 and 10 located at unequal distances from the pivotal or axial center about which the lever arm is adapted to oscillate.

The ratchet plate 12 is provided with ratchet teeth 11 which may be in the form of a series of pins arranged in a circle and fixed to said plate, the plate 12 being fixed to one end of the display roller 17. .he ratchet teeth are at eaual. distances from the axial center of the roller 2', and are at equal distances from each other. The pawl fingers 9 and 10 on the pawl 6 are so disposed that each of said fin ers is adapted to be moved into and out of the path of movement of the ratchet teeth 11, so as to permit and control the intermittent or step by step movement ot the display roller 2' and of the web The pawl fin ers are so disposed and an ranged that when. either one of said finger is out of the path of movement of the ratchet teeth 11 the other will be in the path oi"- movement of said teeth, said pawl fingers being movable in opposite directions from the path of movement of the ratchet teeth, or to the opposite sides of the path of movement of said ratchet teeth, respectively. The forked arms 13 and 14 of the pawl 6 are both curved outward or so formed as to be out of the path of movement of the ratchet teeth and permit the movement of the pawl fingers 9 and 10 into and out of engagement with the ratchet teeth alternately.

It will thus be seen that the escapement mechanism comprising the pawl 6 and ratchet teeth 11, is adapted to stop and release the roller 71 and the web of paper at during the rotation of the roller 2'- and the corresponding travel of the web min either direction, or. during the operation of winding the web m onto either of the winding rolls j or as desired.

The display roller 2' is provided with pe ripherally projecting bosses 15 spaced apart or located at equal distances from each other circumferenti'ally around the periphery of said roller, and adapted to enter similarly spaced perforations in the web or sheet m. The web or sheet m has the names of the streets, stations, articles or announcements 16, which are to be displayed, printed or impressed thereon at uniform distances from each other longitudinally of theweb and in such position that the same will appear in successive order inposition to be visible through the opening 9, when themovement of the web of paper in either direction is stopped in a step by step manner, or stopped and released intermittently by the operation of the escapement mechanism or pawl and ratchet mechanism above described.

Suitable spaces 17 are provided upon the 7 sheet or web of paper adapted to receive the imprint or impressions of characters 18, comprising advertisements or other announce ments which are placed upon the web of paperin position to be visible through the opening it in the'casing when the web is stopped in different predetermined positions during the operation thereof in a step by step manner as described. a

In order to provide means for automatically actuating the escapement mechanism, and permitting the step by step or intermit tent operation of the rollers and the web of paper as above suggested, whereby the names or announcements appearing upon the web may be automatically caused to be displayed at suitable intervals and in proper order, the pawl 6 is provided with a lever arm 19, which is in fixed relationto the pawl 6, and an electromagnet 20, comprising an electric coil 21, is mounted upon a suitable support 22, which mav be of any desired or suitable form, such,for instance, as a frame comprising frame members 23, '24 and 25 adapted to be secured toa suitable support,

such, for instance, as the casing a, or to the top of a car, by means of screws 26, or other suitable securing means. The frame may be of any desired form adapted to support the magnet 20 in any desired position, to operate the armature 2'7 and thereby the indicator or announcer. The armature 27 is secured to the upper extremity of a connecting or operating rod 28, which is slidably or movably mounted in a suitable opening and which operating rod 28 is operatively connected with the lever arm 19 of the pawl and ratchet mechanism by means of a link 30 and threaded securing and adjusting nuts 31 and 32 which are in threaded engagement with said link, and each of which is in en gagement with the opposite face of the lever 19, and adapted to secure the operating rod 28 in different adjusted positions with respect to and connect it with the lever arm 19.

The link '30 is pivotally connected with the lower extremity of the rod'28 by means of a pivot pin 33, which extends transversely through transverse apertures in the laterally perforated and overlapping adjacent extremities of the rod 28 and link 30'respectively.

The coil 21 of the magnet 20 is adapted to be embraced within or connected with the opposite poles of an electric circuit, and to be automatically connected with, and disconnected from, a source of electric supply, or electric power by means of which the escapement mechanism or pawl and ratchet mechanism, above described, is to be operated.

In the form of the device shown in the drawings in which this invention is embodied and adapted to be used in connec tion with an electrically operated street car, the coil 21 is connected at one of its extremities with a contact member 34 by means of metallic wires or electric conductors 35, 36, and 37. A make and break switch 38 is provided for connecting and disconnecting the wires 36 and 37 when desired,and a re sistance coil 39 may be interposed between the magnetic coil 21 and ithecontact member 34 in the electric circuit thus formed, in case the current is sufficiently strong to require such resistance coilfor the safe and efficient operation of the magnet or coil .21.

The opposite pole of the coil 21, from that with which the wires above described are connected, is connected with a wire or conductor 40, which is in turn connected with a ground wire 41, adapted to communicate with the ground, indicated byreference 'numeral 42, in Fig. 4, in which the electric circuit and connections are shown diagrammatically, as before stated.

The contact member 34 is adapted to engage contact members 43, of which there may be any desired number and which are connected with the trolley wire, or equivalent member of the electric circuit, by means of which the electrical power for operating the car is furnished, or by means of which the announcer is to be operated,there being one of such contact members for each station or street to be announced, and the name of which is shown or indicated upon the web m.

The contact member 43, shown in the drawings, is secured to or connected with the trolley wire at the point of connection between suchtrolley wire and a cross wire, or trolley wire support Q5. The cross wire 45 may be one of any desired number, said wire being located at or near the street or station correspondingwith contact member 43, and whichstreet is to be indicated or announced when said street or station is the next to be reached by the car, and when the name of such street or station is displayed at the opening in the casing of the indicator or announcer.

The contact member 3% is supported by a trolley pole e6, which may be of metal, and insulated from the trolley pole by means of an insulating member 4-? which may be of any desired or suitable form. Said contact member 3a is thus supported in position to come in contactwith the stationary contact members 43 successively as the trolley 4:7, supported by the trolley pole of the car and in contact with the wire 44:, passes such stationary contact members 43 successively.

In order to enable the contact member 3a to pass and come into contact with a contact member or members d3, without causing the indicator or announcer to be operated, when it is desired to prevent such operation-tor instance, when the car is being switched or required to pass any given contact member out of its regular order or more than once during a trip, or when the car is backed up for any reason,-it is only necessary to break the circuit between the contact member 3% and the electric coil 21, by turning the switch 38 to open or circuit breaking position, said switch 38 being kept closed whenever it is desired that the indicator should be operated either automatically or manually.

The trolley wheel 4-7 is, of course, adapted to travel in contact with the trolley wire 44: and to be thus connected with a source of electric supply, and a wire or electrical conductor 48 is electrically connected with the trolley wheel 4:? by means of the metallic trolley pole or a wire, or other suitable conductor, and with the controller 49 of the car. The controller is connected with the motor 50 by means of the wire 51 leading from the controller coils 49 to one of the poles of the motor, and the wire 52 is connected with the opposite pole of the motor, and with the wire 40, and ground wire ell, already described.

A wire 53 leads from and is connected with the wires 35 and 36 already described, and a wire 54 is connected with the wire 48 already described, and a movable switch member or push button 55 is electrically connected with one of said wires,for instance, wire 5l,and movable into and out of contact with the contact member 56 mounted adjacent to said movable switch member and connected with the other wire 53.

The push button is adapted to engage the contact member 56 when said push button is pushed by the operator into circuit closing position, and to be normally disconnected so as to break the circuit between the wires 53 V and 54 and leave the same normally open at all times when the indicator is to be automatically operated without the employment of the push button 55. By this arrangement the escapement mechanism of the announcer or indicator is adapted to be operated manually at any time by means of the operation of the push button 55. By leaving the switch or push button 55 in open or circuit breaking position, with the switch 38 in closedposition, the escapement mechanism and indicator or announcer is adapted to be operated automatically whenever the contact member 3% comes in contact with a stationary contact member 43. In the case last mentioned, the contact member 34 being in contact with a contact member 43. the electric current passes from the trolley wire 44, through contact member 43, contact member 3%, wire 35, wire 36, switch 38, wire 37, resistance coil 89, magnetic coil 21, wire 40, and ground wire ll to the ground, thus energizing the coil 21 and causing the armature 27, and the escapement lever 19 to be raised, thereby moving the lever or escapement pawl 6 from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 2 or from initial position to releasing position. The movement of the contact member 34 out of engagement with the contact member as will break the circuit and cause the coil 21 to be deenergized, and the weight of the armature 27 and the connecting rod and lever 19 will automatically throw the pawl 6 with its pawl finger 9 back to initial position with said finger 9 in position to engage a ratchet tooth l1 and stop the rotation of the windingrolls or display roll, and also the movement of the web m.

, When the switch member or push button 55 is moved by the operator from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig.

l, into circuit closing position, and in contact with the contact member 56 for operating the indicator manually, the coil 21 will be energized without the contact member 34 and web operating rolls may thus be operated manually or released and stopped as many times as may be desiredin order to.

present the desired announcement or name in position to be visible through the opening or window 9 in thecasing a.

With the push buttom 55 in circuit closing position, as above described, the electrical circuit will pass from the trolley wire 44:- through the trolley-wheel 47, pole l6, wire 48, wire 54, switch or push button 55, contact 56, wire 53, wire 36, switch 38, wire 37,

resistance coil 39, magnet coil 21, wire 40,,

ground wire 41 to the ground, thus energizing the coil 21 and causing the pawl 6 of the ratchet mechanism with its finger 9 to be moved to releasing position. The return movement of the push button or switch member55 to open or circuit breaking posi-- tion will cause the coil 21 to be denergized, as already described, thus permitting the pawl 6 and pawl finger 9 to return to position to stop or prevent the rotation of the display'roll, or winding rolls 7' and is, and the corresponding movement. of the web m in whatever direction the same are adapted to be moved by the operation of the weights, as above described. 7

In order to enable thepawl 6, with its fingers 9 and 10 to be moved bodily out of operative position'so as to leave the display rolls; or winding rolls and ratchet teeth free to be moved in either direction, either manually by pulling on the required cord 25 or u, or by the operation of the weights, as desired, a hub or sleeve 57 is provided, which encircles thestub shaft or pivot 7 already described, and is movable with the pawl 6 and arm 19 longitudinally of the shaft. This hub or sleeve member 57 is provided with an end portion 58, which may be in the form of a laterally projecting arm, and is adapted to be engaged and operated by a locking member in the form of a rotatable knob or cam 59, having a thumb-nut 60 mounted in fixed relation thereto and connected therewith by means of a shank or pin 61. Said locking member or knob 59 is adapted to be turned from the position in which the same is shown in Fig. 1, to a position at right angles to said position, thereby causing the hub member 57 and pawl 6 to be moved outward endwise away from the end of the roller 71, and ratchet teeth '11, against the tension of the spring 62. Said spring is interposed between the end wall f and the pawl 6 and adapted to yieldingly hold the pawl 6 in operative position. The pawl 6 may thus be shifted bodily longitudinally of the shaft or, pin 7 and away from and entirely out of contact with the ratchet teeth 11, and out of operative position, thus permitting the toothed ratchet 12, and allof the rollsto be rotated freely in either direction as desired, and to any desired extent, by simply pulling on the required winding cord t or u.

It is obvious that one of the relatively i small weights 2 may be dispensed with by using a single small or relatively light weight 2 first on one and then on the other of the winding cords t and M respectively, and transferring such single weight 2 to the cord from which the relatively heavy weight is removed, and connecting the heavy weight with a cord from which such lighter weight is removed whenever the direction of rotation of the rollers and the direction of .movement of the flexible strip isto be reversed. By using two relatively light weights, instead of one, it is only necessary to shift a single weight'the relatively heavy one-in order to reverse the direction of movement of the strip and rollers. The advantage of this is obvious.

The casing 2 is adapted to permit the relatively heavy weight 4: to be disconnected from either of the weights 2 or either winding cord 6 or u to which it may be attached,

and connected with the other of said cords or relatively light weights, whenever desired, and is provided with a door it for rollers, by means of the corresponding winding cord t or u, said lighter weight will act to yieldingly resist the rotation of the winding rollers and display roller and the move ment of the flexible strip m. The flexible strip is thus tightened and kept taut while moving over and with the display roller and onto the windingroller with which the relatively heavy weight is connected.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism of the class described,

the combination of a pair of winding rollers rotatively mounted, a flexible strip connected with said rollers and provided with characters to be displayed, a display roller 7 rotatively mounted in engagement with said strip and adapted to be rotated by the strip and said winding roller mechanism, a'plurality of weights comprising a relatively heavy weight adapted to be connected with each of said winding rollers successively, for rotating thesame to wind the strip onto the winding roller with which such, relatively heavy weight is connected, and a relatively light weight adapted to be connected with the other of said winding rollers, for

resisting the rotation of such roller to tighten the strip, means for connecting each of said weights with the roller to be acted upon thereby, and escapement mechanism operatively connected with the display roller and acting to permit intermittent movement of the flexible strip and rollers.

2. In a mechanism of the'class described, the combination of a pair of winding rollers rotatively mounted, a flexible strip con nected with said rollers and provided with characters to be displayed, a display roller rotatively mounted in engagement with said strip and adapted to rotate in a direction corresponding with the direction oi movement of the flexible strip, a plurality of weights comprisinga relatively heavy weight for rotating a desired winding roller, to wind the strip thereon, and a relatively light weight adapted to be connected with a winding roller from which the strip is to be unwound, means for operatively connecting each of said weights with the roller to be acted upon thereby, escapement mechanism operatively connected with the display roller, for stopping and releasing the same alternately, to permit intermittent movement of the strip and the rollers connected therewith, and means for automatically operating said escapement mechanism.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a pair of winding rollers rotatively mounted, a flexible strip connected with said rollers and provided with charactors to be displayed, a display roller rotatively mounted and adapted to rotate in a direction corresponding with the direction of movement of said strip, said flexible strip forming the sole connecting means between said display roller and winding rollers, a flexible cord operatively connected with each of said winding rollers, respectively, a weight adapted to be connected with the cord of each winding roller alternatel means for connecting said weight with the cord of a desired roller to be rotated by such weight, escapement mechanism operatively connected with the display roller, for permitting intermittent movement of the strip and rollers, and means for automatically op erating said escapement mechanism.

4:. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of winding roller mechanism rotatively mounted in a suitable support, a flexible strip connected with said winding roller mechanism and provided with characters to be displayed, a display roller rotatively mounted in engagement with said flexible strip and adapted to be rotated by said flexible strip and winding roller mechanism, means for rotating the winding roller mechanism comprising a weight adapted to be operatively connected with a winding roller onto which the flexible Copies of this patent may be obtained for strip is to be wound, escapement mechanism operatively connected with the display roller, for stopping and releasing the same alternately, to permit intermittent movement of the strip and the roller mechanism, and means for operating the escapement mechanism.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination or" winding roller mechae nism rotatively mounted in a suitable support, a flexible strip connected with said winding roller mechanism and provided with characters to be displayed, a display roller rotatively mounted in engagement with said flexible strip and adapted to rotate in a direction corresponding with the direction of movement of said strip, said flexible strip forming the sole connecting means between said display roller and winding rollers, a weight operatively connected with a winding roller for rotating the same, to wind the flexible strip onto such roller, means for yieldingly resisting the movement of the flexible strip and roller mechanism, to tighten the strip, escapement mechanism operatively connected with the display roller for stopping and releasing the same alternately, and actuating means operatively connect-ed with the escapement mechanism, for automatically actuating the same.

6. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a pair of winding rolle s rotatively mounted, a flexible strip operatively connected with said winding rollers and provided with characters to be displayed, a plurality of weights comprising a relatively heavy weight and a relatively light weight, a cord operatively connected with one of said winding rollers and adapted to be connected with the relatively light weight, a cord operatively connected with the other of said winding rollers and adapted to be operatively connected with the relatively heavy weight, a display roller rotatively mounted in engagement with said flexible strip and adapted to rotate in a direction corresponding with the direction or movement of the strip, escapement mechanism operatively connected with the display roller and acting to stop and release the same alternately, to permit intermittent movement of the strip with the winding roller, and means for operating the escapement mechanism.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, March 25, 1916.

JOHN L. SI-IAHAN.

lVitnesses HARRY IRWIN Gnomes, W. HARDING.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. '0." 

